


You're Very Trying

by ThingsthatrhymewithTea



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: 5+1 Things, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Humor, I'm Bad At Tagging
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-03-30 04:09:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13942290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThingsthatrhymewithTea/pseuds/ThingsthatrhymewithTea
Summary: What starts out as getting a problem resolved ends up leading to a tiny crush. While it's not a skill he's used lately, the former Winter Soldier is determined to ask Kira out on a date. It's not working out right, but look, he's trying. He's very trying.





	1. An Accident/ A Purpose

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my first shared attempt at writing, and any and ALL feedback would be delightful. Be as brutal as you want, but constructive criticisms are appreciated. I plan to continue these two in a collection of one-shots, so if people enjoy this story I'd be happy to write some "What would happen if?" situations. Thank you in advance for your kindness!
> 
> Obviously I own nothing in the Marvel world.

Everything was going smoothly enough for a standard Avenger's train-wreck of a mission. He wasn't even supposed to be out of the tower. But here he was, with Captain “We'll be fine without backup, Buck, don't worry” America, and yet another Hydra base was all but down in flames (literally; Steve needed to cool it with the explosions) when it happened.  
Barnes and Barton were back-to-back guarding the extraction point when, after throwing his last knife, Bucky crouched down to give Clint some space to fire and grabbed the knife that was still in Clint's boot. He smoothly parried an attack from a Hydra goon as he stood back up, and the knife in Bucky's hand snapped in half.  
Both combatants hesitated with matched surprised expressions, but Bucky was faster with a left hook that ended the stalemate. Clint released an arrow into the last opponent standing.  
“The hell was that?” Bucky growled, looking down at the sheared off metal in his hand.  
“Fuck if I know. That's the second time it's happened in the last month though, so I'm sure as hell going to find out.”  
~  
Clint stormed into the SHIELD weapons Requisition and Repairs office and walked right up to the woman at the desk, slamming down the remaining hilt and stump of steel.  
“This blade is shit and almost got two people killed.” Clint declared. He knew he was fudging the truth a bit, one knife wasn't going to lead to either trained assassin's death, but it was the principle of the thing.  
The woman across the counter didn't jump at the intrusion. Instead she suddenly looked furious at the offending item. Her face twisted into a snarl complete with nose wrinkle as if the broken tool had been the bane of her life. The summation of everything she hated. It occurred to Clint how impressively expressive her face was, in the same moment as he realized he may have stepped into something that would have been better resolved by not shouting at a person surrounded by sharp objects.  
Before Clint could try again, she looked back up at him and with 'Ta da!' hands.  
With a slightly less agitated expression she shouted, “Finally! Thank you!”  
~

Three months pass.

~  
“Dude, you ever going to let him win?”  
Bucky looks up at Clint from his position on the couch. Steve sat on the other side, unwilling to look away from the screen as Yoshi passes him yet again.  
“Yeah, no.”  
Clint shrugs, watching the two trading positions as they fight for first place.  
“Well, stop toying with him and put him out of his misery. There's someone I want you to meet.”  
Bucky grunts affirmative, pulls ahead easily, and then puts the controller down as Steve groans. The tiny characters rode a victory lap as the Mario Kart logo jumped onto the screen, cheerful music meeting Steve's scowl.

The two men walk down the hallway in easy silence as Clint leads them to the requisitions office inside Stark's tower. Once they pass the threshold inside, Clint wordlessly tosses a small bone-shaped object to a large German Shepard laying on a foam pad by the door. The movement was obviously well versed as the big dog grabbed the object out of the air and silently chewed, tail wagging but ears forward and eyes watching Bucky's every move.

“What part of 'he's going to get fat' don't you understand, Barton?”

A tall brown haired woman walks around the corner to meet the pair, eyes curving up as she smiled at Clint. Her gaze shifts quickly to the second man and the same look becomes flat with mild curiosity mixed with a different customer service smile. The combination leads to a cute tilt to her head. It occurs to Bucky that the head tilt mirrors the dog's expression when he walked in.

“Hey Kira. I brought the other victim of the knife incident.”

“Ah.” After a long pause and a second assessing look at Bucky, she turns back to Clint. “He seems pretty alive to me.”

It was Bucky's turn to look at Clint, frowning with confusion. “I'm supposed to be dead?”

Clint shrugs. “Not so much. I may have suggested the knife that broke on us a while back was a bigger deal than it was. Apparently Kira here had been trying to tell her SHIELD supervisor about the quality of metal having gone down hill for months before either of the blades snapped, and the second knife's breaking was what broke the camel's back. Stark then offered her a job here as a bit of an odd-jobs specialist, and when SHIELD fell, she just stayed along for the ride.”

He looks a bit smug with the play on words. Neither other human in the room reacts beyond each raising an eyebrow, but the dog chuffs a snort before laying back down. Kira finally cracks a smirk, and looks back to Bucky.

“Right. Yeah, I noted the carbon levels in the steel being brought in rising. Nothing obvious at first, but the blades were too hard. It's tough to explain, but the feel is off. Ya know?”

Bucky nods his head. He understood. “A bit like everything you do with the knife is muted, brittle.”

Kira looks slightly relieved and nods her head as well. The two share a quiet moment, before Barton cleared his throat. 

“Wanna show Barnes here your collection of specialty blades?” Clint smirks, wiggling his eyebrows as he said it. Bucky feels like he's being set up for a dirty joke, when Kira pipes up.

“Ah, yeah! Lemme just clock out and I can show you my newest! Is your friend big on knives, or does his interest in metal end with his hand?”

Bucky flinches as she turns around to the back of the shop. He takes a moment to look down at his limb before he realized that even though it wasn't covered today, she couldn't have seen his exposed hand from her position.

“Everyone in the damn tower know me by now?” He growls to Clint, trying to keep his voice low.

“Nope. You'll have to introduce yourself eventually. Though, I'm always impressed by how resistant you are to using your words.”

Bucky looks doubtfully at Clint. “Then how the hell did she know about my arm? She can't see it from behind the desk.”

It was Clint's turn to look back, confused. His glance flicks over to the corner with the dog, then back to the empty desk, as he clarified, “She's got a silent partner. Ask her about it some time if you're brave enough.”

Before Bucky could ask him what the hell that was supposed to mean, Kira was back with a bundle in her arms. She unwraps a long hunting knife, almost a machete in build, with rippling light and dark waves covering it from tip to unfinished end.

“Uh.” Bucky pauses. “Where's the handle?”

Kira's eyes almost sparkle. “I'm not there yet. It cost me more than I want to talk about getting a good piece of Damascus-style steel. The low quality ones sell for cheap, but I found an old friend of a friend who could get me something special. I'm still deciding if I want to make the hilt from bone, wood, or something else.”

Bucky hums with appreciation. This was not your run-of-the-mill dame. He could see why Stark would offer her a job if she was as knowledgeable as she seemed. He looks her over, paying proper attention this time, and realized she wasn't bad looking either. Her brown hair is tied back into a pony tail that laid across one shoulder and brushed against her collar bone. She's tall for a woman, maybe only an inch shorter than himself. Neither deeply athletic nor heavy, but curvy with muscular arms exposed by her black tank-top. Dark brown eyes watch him looking her over, her own gaze accented by a single raised brow.

“Ya need something?”

“Bucky.” He blurts out.

“Bucky?” She looks at him without comprehension.

“My name is Bucky.”

“Oh right. Introductions are weird. Nice to meet you, Bucky. My name is Kira, but you heard Clint shouting so that's not news. The big dog down there is Orion.” Kira turned back to Clint, motioning to her knife as if nothing happened. “So anyways, it took weeks to come in and I've not decided yet on what I want to grasp when I swing this thing around.”

Clint shrugs as he jams his hands in his pockets. “I'm sure it'll be fine; you know your stuff. We gotta head back up, but I wanted you two to meet so in the future if there are any more knife issues Dr. Claw here knows who to cry to.”

Bucky scowls while Kira chuckles quietly at the banter. She playfully winks at the grumbling man as she wraps the knife back up. “Well cry all you want, the steel is better now that I work for Stark. Dude does not skimp on his materials. Swing by if you need anything, just keep your eyeballs in your head.”

Bucky opens his mouth to protest, but opts for a shrug instead. Fair enough.

~ 

As time (and orders) pass, Bucky began to find himself around the shop from time to time. It starts out simply as replacing older knives which were wearing out in battle, then getting simple things like grips and armor pieces upgraded. Today he finds himself relaxing just watching Kira's arms move rhythmically as she works on something unfamiliar in the shop. The controlled hammering goes on for minutes as Bucky leans on the counter, and it isn't too long before she finally has the section straightened out. Once satisfied, Kira stands up and stretches out her back as she address him. 

“What's it today, pony-boy?”

He cocks an eyebrow.

“Pony tail? Your hair's getting longer. No? Bueller?”

He shrugs. “Steve sent me in for a part. Didn't say what it was, just that it was a rush.”

“Everything is a rush with that meathead.” Kira mumbles, staring down at the curved steel.

Bucky barks out a laugh. “He know you call him that?” 

She shrugs, running a slightly greasy hand through some hair that had gotten loose from her braid. “Mmmm, no. I'm just a bit punchy today. He's a nice enough guy, but he's obviously used to calling the shots, and I can only get so many things done at a time. He's never really rude per say, just pushy. Expects things to be just so, especially on your orders. Comes down here trying to make sure your stuff is done right, and while I appreciate quality, I'm not a fan of being told how to do my job by some guy who spends too much time in the gym, ya know? I don't dislike him, but he's not on my list of favorite people. That sound fair to you?”

“Well,” Bucky smirks, “He's like a brother to me. Always getting into shit. Worries about me a lot. He look familiar to you?”

“Not especially. Most of the secret agents around here look the same to me. Should I know him from something?”

Another smirk. “Don't you turn on a TV?”

“Not really? I have one, but I don't do much with it besides play video games. Is there some joke I'm missing? He a male model or something? I assumed he just worked in another part of Stark's tower. Even I rent from one of the lower floors.”

“Mmm.” Bucky smiles softer now. This is part of what he enjoys so much. In this small room he's just a normal guy. They all are. She doesn't see the heroes because she's not looking for anything. Her ignorance is his bliss. “Naw. Don't worry about it.”

“Whatever you say, man. There's a chair in the corner if you're waiting on this.” She turns back to her work as Bucky drags the seat to the counter and watches her resume the slow process. 

Clint waltzes in a half-hour later as she finishes waxing the now smooth curve.

“Shepard.”

Kira looks up with a serious expression. “Wrex.”

Clint grins, then frowns. “Where's the superior Shepard?”

Kira's expression morphs into one of exasperated affection. “Idiot ate too much grass on our morning walk again and said he didn't want to come into work with me today. I set him up on his mini-couch with a bowl of water and some re-runs of Dog Cops you suggested. I don't know how you guys can watch that show.”

Clint shrugs a shoulder. “We like what we like. Steve's still asking if his motorcycle part is fixed yet. That it?”

She tosses the side guard panel to Bucky, who catches it easily. “You boys can fight over it. Tell bone-head I said stop dragging the damn bike and he'll get to enjoy riding it more. Who keeps getting into this many accidents? Going to get himself killed one of these days.”

Bucky nods sagely. Wasn't that the truth. He waves to Kira as both men exit the room, walking side by side as they steer toward the elevators. 

“It's nice to be treated normally.” Clint states with a somber expression. “No expectations, no fear, no hero-worship. Just... easy friendship.”

“She's cute too.” Bucky replies without thinking while he turns the metal panel in his hands. 

“She is. You've been spending a lot of time in that office. Just don't fuck it up with my favorite Stark employee.”

That's what brings Bucky to a full stop. “You think we're dating?”

“Not yet.” Clint walks the last foot to the doors and presses the down button for the lift. “But if you decide to pursue that line of thought, know I'll be pissed if you fuck it up.”

Bucky stopped turning the metal in his hands and watches the floor counter climb to meet them. Barton may be onto something. “Yeah. Okay” he mutters when the doors open, mind wandering to sharp brown eyes and strong arms as the floor marker descends again.


	2. Spoken, not Heard

The first time he tries to impress Kira he does so without any advice. He remembers being a ladies' man as a youth and successful at seduction at the hands of the Russians and Hydra. If anything, he's over prepared with pick-up lines that have worked for him time and again.

How hard could it be?

~

It's a Friday evening and Bucky waltzes in with all the confidence in the world. He's dressed in jeans and a black tee shirt with his hair pulled into what the internet declares to be a fashionable bun. Kira is in a slightly set-back work area taking off her safety gear and stowing unfinished projects. She's even in a good mood and having a playful argument with another member of the team she works with. He's timed his arrival just before shift-change.   
Conditions are perfect.

“What's a choice bit of calico like you doing in a place like this?”

Kira stops herself mid-rebuttal to look over at Bucky, who is suddenly fully aware that his previous seductions were either in the 1920's or generally wordless. In fact, that line doesn't even make sense outside of the context of a bar or a first meeting.  
His brain comes to a screeching halt when he realizes that at best she got the gist of what he was trying to say. At worst she now thinks he's nuts. 

“You okay, Bucky?”

Shit. Option number two.

The man Kira was talking to smirks. Kira looks confused and a bit concerned. He can work through this, Bucky hopes.

“I mean you look absolutely divine tonight.”

Again, she looks at him like he's lost his mind. She looks down at her heavy reinforced work boots, stained leather apron, blacked and soot-streaked arms, and back up to him as she sets her massive leather safety gloves on the table next to what must be her safety glasses.

“Uh. Thanks? You sure you're okay?”

Bucky hesitates again, doing his best to ignore the grinning man standing behind her. The big guy is still slowly clearing off the work station, but obviously enjoys watching Bucky struggle.   
He tries again, going for casual this time.

“Yeah. Uh. Would you like to grab some dinner with me?”

Kira suddenly looks like she understands. She puts her equipment away as she nods, working her way to the front counter. 

“Sounds like you got some serious low blood sugar. My bother says all kinds of wacky shit when he's hungry. Let's get you fixed up before you pass out.”

She walks past him to the doorway. The other man is opening chuckling to himself now as he sets up his own work, and rumbles a quick, “Have fun and don't forget desert!”

~

Bucky ends up eating a ton (which Kira seems to accept because 'low blood sugar' seems to be a free card) and feeling so ridiculous he doesn't bother trying to explain this was an attempted date. Even after she insists on getting ice cream with him to talk about the physics of his arm.

Overall he has to admit that even chatting with her is fun and relaxing, and maybe going out as a friend first was nice, if a bit vexing. He'll get it right the next time. A blush creeps up his cheeks as she touches his left hand reverently, slowly requesting permission for every inch she inspects. It would be intimate if she wasn't chatting excitedly and they weren't still in a public place. 

“So,” She looks up at him while holding his metal bicep in both hands. A teasing smirk pulls up one side of her mouth in a cheeky grin, voice laced with innuendo. “How far up does this go?”

The blush quickly blooms across his face now and he realizes, as she breaks out in laughter, that this is so out of his control.


	3. Listen, not Understood

“Why the hell are you asking me?” Clint complains as they fire down the range.

“She's a modern woman. You've been married before, right? What do women like these days?”

Clint looks at him hard again, as if staring will make the original question go away.

“I don't know. Impress her? Try negging or some shit. I'm not the person you should be getting any dating advice from.”

He looks up 'negging' online and tries to form a new plan of attack.

~  
“Hey doll, it looks like you wield a hammer alright, for a woman.”  
~

About 15 minutes later he's holding his hands up in defeat and being backed out of the office by Orion who is growling with intent.

“Damnit Bucky,” Kira snarls, holding up a massive wrench threateningly, “ I don't know what your issue is today but come back when you're not being a shit. And bring apology cookies!”

~

He does so the next morning. Arriving with an assortment of offerings from the bakery on the 2nd floor, including a couple peanut butter dog-safe ones for the doorway sentinel.

“Sorry I was acting like a jackass yesterday.” Bucky mumbles, passing over the box.

Kira's stern look softens. “Buck, you sure you've been okay the last week? You've seemed kinda hot and cold. I'm worried about ya.”

He sighs. This is going to be hard to explain at some point. A later point.

“Yeah, just working through something. I'll be sure to get my head out of my ass.”

Kira's expression turns decidedly sassy at that, inspecting the cookies she's digging out of the box. “I don't know. I was kinda joking about the cookies, but this is really working for me. You sure you don't want to pick another fight? Where did you find a place that makes pumpkin spice cookies anyways?”

Bucky takes her to the bakery for lunch and they bond over a mutual distrust of the mockery that is turkey bacon. After being forgiven (by both human and canine parties) Bucky resolves never to trust Clint again on any matter of the heart.

~

“To be fair man, I tried to tell you. What? What's that look for? YOU SERIOUSLY TRIED NEGGING HER?!”


	4. Seen, not Sure

Bucky is getting better now. Getting smarter. He searches the web for things women like that he can do to improve his chances, going for a 'she'll come to me if interested' approach. He's equipped with the most popular dark gray Henley style shirt he could find, matched his dark-wash jeans with black shoes and belt. He's even trying harder to make his hair look soft. He's ready this time with a subtle cologne that reminds him a bit of clean rain. He's as prepared as any serious mission now.

Bucky walks in like a man who knows he's got everything under control (he's not actually sure, but confidence makes the man, right?). Even Orion sniffs his pant leg mildly and seems to nod, looking over to the front desk. It's scattered with order forms, and like a beautiful mockery, there sits Kira filling out paperwork in a deep red Henley shirt pulled up to show off her strong forearms. Her hair is loose today, falling in soft waves and managing to still look good in the harsh inside lighting. He takes a second to appreciate her relaxed slouch as she frowns in concentration at the tiny boxes on the forms, wondering what she'd look like outside in the sunlight, walking in a park, somewhere not in the tower. He takes a slow breath and approaches the desk.

“Hey.”

Kira looks up, blinking in surprise, and then glaces over to Orion. Bucky assumes the motion the dog does is the equivalent to a shrug, though he doesn't understand the context.

“Sorry, Bucky. Usually Orion lets me know someone is coming in. How can I help?”

“I uh. I don't have an order or anything, I just came in to chat. You wearing a Henley?”

Kira blushes for a moment, and mumbles something to her pen.

“Say that again, doll?”

She sighs heavily. “I said women's shirts don't usually fit me. My shoulders are wide, and my arms are so big they get stuck in the sleeves of cute girly clothes I find. So either I only buy women's clothes when they're sleeveless, or I branch out into men's clothes too. The Henley-type shirts are warm and comfortable. You're wearing one too so you know what I mean.”

Bucky nods, but he has a full smirk on now. “Looks good on you. Very rugged.”

Kira laughs, sitting up to stretch her back. “Yeah. Gotta impress all the women. Between this and my mighty beard, I'll be drowning in masculine sex appeal. Speaking of, you smell good. Is that cologne? You got a hot date or something?”

“Naw, it's all for you.” Bucky replies, both pleased by how smooth that was and deeply concerned this may be it. She looks at him assessingly, still smirking.

“Yeah, okay. Whatever you say Buck.” 

But this time it seems less dismissive. Still teasing, but different.

He counts it as a win and chats with her as she files a small mountain of completed paperwork.   
He's in no rush this time. Plus, he catches her taking deeper breaths through her nose. He makes a mental note of the cologne's success.


	5. Hurt, not Dead

“Gods above, Bucky! Are you okay?”

Kira opened her door wider and quickly ushered the banged-up man inside. He knows he should be heading up to the apartment he and Steve share, but after the shit-show that was today's assist, he's not in the right mind to close his eyes for too long, not to mention sleep. If he was feeling better, he might have been disappointed her sleepwear was black and practical (long shorts and a wife beater, tied up hair), but it was consistent with her general theme of comfort over fashion.

To her credit, Kira's not panicking. With practiced motions she turns on a kettle of water on the stove, grabs a bag of peas from the freezer, and grabs a first aid kit that was bigger than a normal kit should be. Before he knows it she's completed a quick once-over and ascertained that he's already been to medical (but doesn't put away the med-kit, he notices) and still insists he applies the peas to the swollen bridge of his nose over the bandage that's been there the whole time. He thinks about arguing her firm request, but when she shakes the bag, he takes the cold vegetables and does as he's told. She sets up a french press with coffee and two mugs before she finally settles down next to him and waits.

“I assume you're going to tell me this was a bar fight?”

Bucky chuckles weakly. “No, but I can't talk about what did happen. Maybe later. Coffee?”

She waves a hand dismissively as she pours two cups. “Decaf. Having something warm to drink often helps people relax, but I do plan to go back to sleep at some point. So if you've already gotten medical attention, and you can't talk about it, why are you at my doorstep at,” she squints at the clock on the stove, “4am. Huh. Maybe I won't be sleeping before my shift. But I'm getting side tracked. What brings you here?”

Bucky looks down at the cup. He takes a sip before answering, trying to get the words out right.

“I had a really shitty night, and I wanted to talk to someone who wasn't going to tell me everything is fine. Shit's not fine. I'm barely put together and the work I do is super fuckn' messed up. But it's to protect others, and I'm trying to live with that. Being a good guy.”

They sit in silence for a long while.

“You know what. Fuck sleep.” Kira mumbles to herself as she stands up. “Stay there. I need to pack some stuff real quick and then we're going on a field trip.”

She bangs around the kitchen grabbing items and jamming them in a small cloth bag, ending with two travel mugs set on the table near Bucky.

“Fill these for me, would ya? Make yours as you like. Toss a teaspoon of sugar and a splash of milk in mine. Swap out your peas bag for a fresh one and I'll be right back.”

She disappears into another room and returns dressed in a black tee shirt and jeans, zipping up a dark green hoodie as she walks back in. Shoes go on at the door just before they walk out.

“Alright-y, let's hoof it before it's too late.”

Bucky follows her out of her apartment and to the elevators with his mug in hand while she carries the rest. A few minutes later they're on a section of lower roof facing east, accompanied by a couple table and chair sets. Bucky wasn't aware there were other flat areas non-avengers could enjoy, but here he was alone with Kira as she unpacked her bag in the lingering pre-dawn dark. She pulls out a pile of chocolate chip cookies and a couple oranges, a pair of protein bars last. Once everything is laid out she takes a seat as she motions the one next to her.

“Sit. You'll want to see this.”

He does so. They sit, drinking coffee and slowly eating cookies, as the sun ever-so-slowly creeps over the horizon. It's so quiet up above the noise of the streets below that it's surreal. When the cookies are gone Kira wordlessly begins handing him orange slices and chunks of peanut butter-flavored bars, patiently waiting for the dawn to break. Eventually it does- touching them with the first warm rays of light and glancing off the glass behind them.   
Kira stands up, offering an arm to a much more relaxed Bucky, and speaks for the first time in almost 45 minutes.

“That sun will rise no matter whether you see yourself as a good guy or a bad guy. In the end, we're just people making choices and trying to do our best. There isn't some magical divider of good and evil. But because of you, more people survived the night. Your job may be super fucked up, but if you count 'goodness' as a measure of people alive you're doing a great job. Take a breath. Everything may not be fine but we're both alive to enjoy another dawn, and every day is a chance to try again to be our best. It's not easy, but maybe with a little time and cookies, it will get a bit easier.”

Bucky's almost overwhelmed by that speech. She's obviously no word-smith, but her compassion bleeds through like the orange light across the city. He takes her hand (and stands on his own, he knows he weighs a ton with the metal arm.) As if she ran out of words, Kira smiles at him softly and after repacking the bag, leads them back inside. They travel together mutely until they reach her door, where she softly touches her head to his shoulder. 

“Let me know if you need more quiet time. You know where I work, and apparently where I live. Though we're going to talk about that at some point in the future, bud. But I gotta get ready for work now. Promise me you'll get some sleep?”

He nods slowly. Bucky doesn't have to fake tiredness at this point. Kira twines her fingers with his for a gentle squeeze before turning and entering her apartment. Bucky heads back to his own bed and promptly passes out with his boots still on.


	6. Close, but no Cigar

A few days of recovery later finds Bucky armed with a small cluster of flowers in one hand. Natasha had informed him Kira's favorites were peonies a week ago in an obvious sign of approval. It wasn't hard to find a florist to gather deep red peonies, baby's breath, and ferns in a simple, small bouquet. 

(“How the hell do you- you know what? Nevermind. But why flowers? She doesn't seem the type.”  
“Are you saying everyone doesn't deserve flowers? Seriously, Barnes. In a world of steel, trust me when I say sometimes it's nice to get something pretty. If you're real lucky, maybe next time she'll let you buy her a combat knife.”) 

After seeing her face in the slowly dawning light, he couldn't shake Kira from his mind. He could admit that at first his attraction had been much more shallow, but especially since they sat up watching the sun rise, he dreamed of her tired smile every night. His interest in her kept growing and he had to know more. Would she let him kiss her? If he had been more awake he may have tried to ask her out before they last left, but today was a new dawn. Today he was going to ask Kira outright, and with any luck convince her he was worth her time.

But if repetition had taught him anything, his plans meant nothing.

“She's not here.”

The big man (Dave, he recalls) speaks loudly with hands on his hips. Bucky hadn't even made it to the counter before the guy had stopped him.

“She's in medical. You can catch her down there.”

Bucky eyes widen for only a second before he twists around and heads back to the elevator at a swift march. What the hell happened? He hadn't even thought to ask Dave. He needed to know she was okay with his own eyes.

He barely registered the trip down. The medical department doors open for him automatically as someone who was a frequent flier in the area. He eventually sees her through one of the long windows that spanned the wall- Bruce was monitoring a display as she laid still on a gunnery. Orion was on another one next to her. What the shit happened?

He pushed the door open and dropped the flowers on a nearby table.

“Doc, is she okay?”

A long suffering groan rises from Kira as Bruce startles at Bucky's entrance.

“I'm gonnna kiiiillllllll Dave.” she mumbles, still not opening her eyes. “I swear to all the gods, I am twenty three minutes into a thirty minute scan, and if I have to restart because you men can't carry a simple fucking conversation without a chaperon and a power point, I am going to be incredibly pissed. Sit down and wait your turn, Barnes, and let the poor guy wrap up his damn work. I am not injured or dying. It can wait.”

Bucky sat down on a stool next to the gunnery, looking over at Bruce, who just shrugged. It may well have been the slowest seven minutes he could remember in a long time.

“You're all set, Kira. Nothing is showing as abnormal, so I think we're all set until next year.”

Kira nodded, letting Bruce remove the sticky patches and helping to get the same off Orion's face.

“So.” Bucky began.

“So. Story time then. Let's get coffee. Caffeinated this time.” 

Kira turned to address Bruce. “Thanks again. You saved me a lot of traveling, and I really do appreciate the help. I'll pick up a copy of the report later tonight when I drop off the CD I mentioned earlier.”

Bucky watches as Kira gathers her jacket, waves for Orion to exit first, and the three of them file out of the room, into the elevator, and eventually out of the entire building.

About three blocks later everyone is situated in the back corner of a mostly-dead coffee shop with some kind of treat. Orion is excitedly working his way through a peanut butter laced Kong toy while the other two sip their drinks. Kira has yet to bring up the topic again but Bucky is determined to wait her out at this point.

It only takes a few more minutes of silence before she starts.

“So. After I graduated high school my family didn't have enough money for more school. My dad, and later my brother, worked to pay bills and once I was old enough I wanted to pitch in too. Mom had passed away when I was young and at the time we lived on a farm, but after her death Dad decided to move us closer to the city for better schools and that came with a price tag we worked to settle for a long time. Eventually we managed to get everything paid off and put aside something for the future. My brother chose to join the army and get into their college program at that point, which allowed me to use some of the money we'd saved to attend classes of my own while working part time to keep bills from growing. My Dad cried fat tears when each of us graduated with degrees. Told us he was proud to have such smart kids.  
“It was always a passion of mine, and I heard it paid well, so I went for engineering and metal working. My dad had warned me being a woman would either get me hired on the spot or odd glances, but I was still surprised when I had trouble landing work right away. Even though I was starving for something more I went back to minimum wage while I looked. My brother argued me away from following him into the armed services mainly on the fact I didn't want to shoot anyone. Seems to come with the job.”

Kira pauses to take another sip before continuing.

“Well, by luck I found a program looking for civilians to act as the 'control' group on a government project. All rather hush-hush and I signed a ton of NDAs so I'll keep this simple. Short version is they offered to pay me pretty well if I lived on a base for a year and at the end they would help me land a longer-term independent job. The only catch was I had to submit to having a small transmitter placed in my head, and the other one would link me to a dog I'd never met before- Orion. I never read so much fine print in my life. Once I was happy it wasn't some horrific trap I agreed and packed my bags. All in all it wasn't a the worst thing I'd ever done and before you ask I have no idea what happened to everyone else after. Orion and I spent a lot of time getting to know each other and running weird tests to try out the information pathway, but as promised, after a year it was over and the project came to a close. I was offered to have the chip removed but there seemed to be some scar tissue around the site in my brain, so the compromise was that we'd stay linked as long as I worked for SHIELD. This worked out great for me because I was so used to Orion and I being able to communicate that if felt weird thinking about that connection being severed. Joke's on them anyways- SHIELD fell shortly after the whole knife incident but at that point I had already safely transitioned to Stark's group. What you walked in on was an annual scan to check for any changes in the scar tissue that may need to be addressed. Test says I'm good for another year, so that's nice. In the end I still send money home but now I can talk about what I do more, and Dad dotes on the big lug more than I do.”

She pets Orion's head affectionately as he wagged his tail. Bucky took a moment to absorb the biggest monologue he'd ever heard her say.

“That's how you knew about my metal hand.”

“Hrm? You mean the first time we met? Yeah, Orion was by the door and sent me a message letting me know people came in and the one he didn't know had a metal hand. He knows Clint, so that left you.”

Another comfortable bout of silence passes as drinks were finished. 

“You freaked out pretty good when you saw me lying down back there. Labs still bother you?”

Bucky nods his agreement, and the topic of conversation moves on as they get up and travel back to the tower.

Once back at her apartment, she rolls her eyes without warning and explains the jumping dog wants to watch another episode of Dog Cops and she needs to make dinner for them. It isn't until she closes the door with a knowing smile that he remembers the flowers that had been abandoned in the lab, and he mentally gives up.   
Two steps down the hallways, and he suddenly turns to look back at the door. 

“Wait. Still?” 

~

“Hey Bruce, I have that zen CD I mentioned Orion and I like. Is- why are there flowers on my documents?”

“Er. Bucky left them on the table when he walked in earlier. I had assumed they were for you?”

“Damn. Poor guy almost got it together this time.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Thanks again. I'll file these with the medical offices and get these poor things some water. I've got work to do tomorrow.”

~

“Buck, you okay? You look like you got the icy mitt. Something happen?”

“Ugh. You must be rubbing off on me, punk. When did I get bad with girls?”

“Well that sounds new. Someone I should know about? You haven't mentioned having met any dames.”

“Her name's Kira, but at this rate I don't know if it'll ever make it off the ground. *sigh* I'm heading to the gym. Let me know if anything happens.”

“Mmm. Sure thing, Bucky.” 

The door closes. Steve pulls out his phone.

“Now, who the hell is Kira?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who gave Kudos! I'm super excited!  
> Was Kira's backstory too weird? I tried to keep it light-ish. So many stories have Dark Pasts, but someone's gotta be kinda boring. I like her 'Meh, whatever' attitude to balance out everyone else's intense lives.


	7. Are we there yet?

Steve drags Sam out on his mission to find Kira at the local dog park the next morning. It doesn't take long in part because both are trained for recon. It also doesn't hurt that Kira has no idea anyone is looking for her and both men are hiding behind a grouping of trees a hundred feet away. Five minutes pass before Sam lets out a deep sigh.

“I will repeat one more time; I think this is a really bad idea, and you need to trust your friend. It's an important part of any relationship!”

“It's not that I don't trust Bucky, I just don't know who this woman is besides a few interactions. He's been alternating between moping around and trying to impress her for months and obviously she's jerking him around. That's the real unhealthy relationship here.”

“That's pretty rich coming from a guy who didn't know about this crush a full 24 hours ago.”

Steve has the decency to blush a little and lower his binoculars. 

“Okay. So I was slow on the uptake. But it's not like Bucky talks to me about her! And in retrospect, I should have seen the signs.”

“So, what. We're stalking her now? Steve. Steve please don't make me do something I'll regret.”

“It's fine”

“It's not fine. It's really, really not fine.”

One of the tennis balls Kira throws lands closer to the trees than Sam feels comfortable with, and he takes a small set back.

“You're right. Stalking her isn't enough. I'm going in.”

“Steve- NO DON'T-”

Sam's outburst catches Orion's attention just as Steve exits the tree line. There's a moment of hesitation before dog and human execute an obviously practiced movement. Orion grabs the ball and walks backwards at an angle as Kira surges forward to meet his movements, neither looking away from Steve but meeting perfectly in the middle. Orion takes a defensive stance in front while Kira gently touches his collar. 

“Watch out, Steve. My dog has a red ribbon.”

Steve looks down. It's true; a red ribbon is wrapped around the collar and can be clearly seen on all sides. He has no idea what that has to do with anything, but she's not wrong.

“Okay?”

Kira stares at him, clearly waiting. She crosses her arms.

“It means you shouldn't get too close to him. He doesn't like to be touched.”

“Oh.”

Another awkward pause.

“Do you need something?”

At this point Orion chuffs with his ears flicked forward, and Kira's eyes snap up to where Sam is still trying not to be seen. Her eyes narrow as she shifts into a fighting stance, dropping her arms.

“Alright. What the hell is going on? Why are you both skulking around trees in a dog park for? I thought better of you, Sam.”

Steve looks suddenly like a man who's mother caught him cursing. Or like it had just occurred to him how asinine the situation was.  
Sam obviously understands the strained look on his friends face because he takes that moment to mutter helpfully, “I told you this was a bad idea.”

Steve squares his shoulders, never one to back down from a fight.

“What are your intentions with Bucky?”

Both Kira and Orion hesitate this time. They glance at each other and seem to have a rapid conversation filled with ear pivoting and eye brow dancing before she looks back up at Steve.

“THAT'S what this is about?”

Kira stares harder at Steve. Steve takes a small step back.

“Oh no you don't. You're both coming with me.”

Kira strides back to her bag on a nearby bench and takes it with her as she marches past Steve, grabbing him by the bicep as she goes. Orion brackets Kira on the other side in a protective movement.

“You too, fly-boy. You both owe us an apology for being dumber than bricks. I have half'a mind to tell Bucky of this foolishness but before that we're getting something to eat.”

Steve is dragged along a few steps before he gives in and walks in pace with her. Sam mouths 'southern accent?' to the air as he follows unmolested. 

Two more blocks brings them to a deli where Kira orders for her side and motions for the other men to do the same.

“Now, before you dig yourself a deeper hole,” she starts, waiting for their food to be ready, “let me remind you that Bucky is an independent adult who has his own feelings and isn't going to be pushed around by me or you when his mind's set. Now what horrible act do you THINK I'm doing to your precious kitten?”

Steve hesitates before responding. “I think you're jerking him around. He's seemed disappointed when he comes back from visiting you.”

“I see. And how long has this being going on?”

Steve hesitates again. The conversation is not going as planned. Everyone pauses as Kira trades bills for bags of food. Both Steve and Sam look like they might try to pay, but Kira silently stares them down as she completes the transaction. Once the group returns outside, Steve begins again.

“A while?”

“Seriously? A while? You think I've been leading him on for 'a while'? Gods, where's Darcy when you need her? She'd have some great sarcastic line for this mess.”

Sam smirks behind his sandwich.

“You know what? I have a fix.” 

Steve jumps up as Kira tosses him his two other sandwich rolls and jams everything else into her bag. She starts moving in the direction of the tower. 

“Where are you going?”

Kira smirks as she looks over her shoulder.

“To buy some flowers.” 

As Kira and Orion wander off, Sam pipes up “That went well, I think.” Steve just grunts, and finishes his meal with hunched shoulders.

~

Bucky opens his door to find Kira slouched against the frame, alone and grinning in boot-cut jeans, a green wife beater, and deep blue checkered flannel shirt. He's not even sure how she's pulling it off so well. She leans in a bit and quietly murmurs, “I have something for ya.” He blinks and involuntarily gulps but opens the door wider to allow her entry. Kira moves a hand from behind her back to tuck a spring of mistletoe behind his ear, smirking as he plucks it back out to look it over. 

“I figured since no-one's told me what your favorite flower is, I'd just lean on the language of flowers and some basic information, darlin'.”

His eyes flick from the white berries to her face.

“Yeah? Tell me something interesting.”

Kira nods, looking down at the plant in his hand.

“Well, in earlier times it was considered very powerful as something that overcame the winter, blooming for all the world even when conditions are the worst. But in this case, in arrangements it means 'kiss me' and 'overcoming difficulties'. From what I hear you've been having trouble getting someone's attention and I was hoping I could make my returned interest clear. I loved the peonies.”

A slow smirk rises on Bucky's face, but dies as quickly.

“You know who I am, then? About my past. And you still want me?” 

Kira rolls her eyes at that.

“I might not watch much TV, but the internet is deep and wide. Yeah, I've known about all you nut cakes in this building since after our first meeting. You basically said, “Look me up!” with the way you were acting, and I knew Clint was hiding stuff. I just didn't want to make a big deal over small potatoes. I don't care about your past in part because of how strongly you already feel about it yourself. You're so over-aware of your own issues that you don't even know you're a good person. I watched you get misty eyed when you told me about the ASPCA commercial you saw. It was adorable and really not something an evil person does, hun.”

“The small dogs reminded me 'a Steve” Bucky mumbles, looking away.

Kira laughs at that.

“Yeah, the bone-head and I spoke this afternoon. One hell 'uva puppy you have there.”

Bucky nods, looking back up.

“So, you saying you want something?”

“Mmm.” Kira smirks. “Let's go out tonight and DO something. But first- I understand there's a tradition here you should oblige. Ya gonna kiss me already?”

Bucky does, and it's everything he could have wished for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huzzah!  
> Thank you all for reading! Please let me know if you have any interest in seeing these trouble-makers again. I appreciate everyone taking their time to check this out.


End file.
